Jonathan Kuminga has generated a lot of buzz in his first three games in an Atlanta Hawks uniform. Finally free of the shackles that bound him to Steve Kerr's Steph Curry -centric system in Golden State , he has finally gotten the chance to spread his wings and soar, averaging 21.3 points on a mind-blowing 67.7 percent shooting from the field, leading the Hawks to three straight victories.
And while it's easy to get caught up in the excitement of such a promising young talent, Colin Cowherd isn't quite ready to crown Kuminga as the next big thing just yet, explaining that it's one thing to score a lot of points in the NBA; it's another to do it consistently and in a way that translates to winning.
Kuminga hasn't taken long to showcase what he can do, thrilling Hawks fans with his supreme athleticism and creativity on the open floor. The Warriors' core knew what the 23-year-old was capable of. Unfortunately, Golden State's head coach didn't have much patience for Kuminga's defensive lapses and tendency to get caught up in his own game, resulting in his trade to Atlanta at this season's trade deadline.
"The Warriors have a lot of smart people in that organization, and they basically decided, 'We're going to move him.' They sent him to Atlanta, and now Atlanta is going crazy about him. Did you see what he did Sunday night against the Blazers? He dominated. And he's had big games against the Wizards, too," Colin said on "The Herd."
"But here's the thing," he added. "There are two types of players in the NBA who average 20-plus points per game. There are legitimate, game-altering stars. And then there are guys who are long, run the floor, twitchy, athletic — but they're not winning players. Kuminga is super athletic, but in 34 playoff games with the Warriors, he averaged seven points. He's not what I would call a winning player."
Colin's point is sound. JK has played in 34 playoff games and was given a lot of responsibility last season when Steph Curry went out with a hamstring injury in the second round against the Minnesota Timberwolves .
Named a starter in Games 2 through 5, he played 31.0 minutes per game and averaged 24.3 points on 55.4 percent shooting. Unfortunately, JK's numbers failed to make an impact as the Warriors lost every game and were ousted from the postseason.
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Now playing for a Hawks team that isn't considerably pressured to win now, time will tell if Kuminga has the wherewithal to become a reliable contributor for a winning team. More than anything, he now gets the chance to prove he's more than just one of a million athletic players in the NBA.
"There's a lot of talk right now about Kuminga. But he's been giving us windmill dunks for years. He doesn't rebound hard. He doesn't shoot threes. He's wildly inconsistent offensively," Colin remarked. "The NBA has a ton of talent. It's a global sport, so there's talent everywhere. There are a million guys who can give you 22 points a night. But Golden State had Kuminga for four and a half years and never trusted him in big moments. That tells you something."
Now playing for a team that loves to create havoc on defense and get out in transition, Kuminga appears to have landed in the perfect situation to thrive. Here's to the hope he can get it done and truly get his stalled career off the ground.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
